I did a lot of research before I decided to write this story, surprisingly an Oddworld Quintology website gave me a lot of insight on the culture and autonomy of the inhabitants of Oddworld (Both sentient and wild).
But because there was no real info on modokon children, reproduction or growth (Besides the fact the queen lays eggs, there are male infertile drones and a few fertile males) I had to make a lot of guesses. Because modokons presumably live for about forty years, I had to give them a relatively short childhood to balance this out.
Anyways sorry for the long message, here is the next chapter enjoy :)
Chapter two: Learning quickly...
(Meanwhile at Molluck's office, down the hall from the boardroom...)
-Molluck's POV
The short-tempered glukkon sat at his desk in the middle of the room, hastily scanning the numerous papers on his desk, they showed that the profits were steadily rising, despite the significant decrease in the meeche population over the past few years.
Ordering one of the nearby sligs to help him of out of his chair, Molluck took a moment to pace around the room on his restrained arms (That in his species case, was used primarily for walking), tightly constricted under his black suit.
As he slowly scampered on his hands (Concealed within his shoes of course) around the room, Molluck stopped to scoff at the portraits of the other failed representatives of Glukkon Industrial corporation, "Hympth, incompetent morons." He muttered turning away, out of all the glukkons before him, none had succeeded in making more profits than himself, he had never been afraid to take the necessary risks in order for this company to flourish.
Taking another puff of the cigar in his mouth he made his way across the blood red carpet to the decorative aquarium stationed in the wall at the back of his office, it mainly had some worry-fish and a sub-species of octigi swimming around inside. He preferred the tanks view as opposed to all the buildings and factories just outside his office.
Deciding he'd wasted enough time, he turned and shouted at a slig making it jump back in both fear and surprise, "Take me to the boardroom!" He commanded in a sharp and menacing tone, "Yes boss!" The tentacle faced slig obediently rushed to his side, having no trouble keeping up with Molluck on his robotic pants as he marched besides the glukkon and towards the door.
They stopped near the door and Molluck turned to the lever beside it, "Do it!" He shouted at the slig, it merely nodded pulling the lever with the red light at the top, the light momentarily flashed green as the steel metal doors opened in one swift motion.
Stepping outside and walking down the metal corridors, they came to a stop when an bottle-green oval screen fastened to the floor in front of them, the green line in the middle of screen representing the sounds frequency flicked triangularly like a heart monitor, "Hey!" The robotic voice stated, "Hey!" Molluck repeated, "What!" The machine said, "Do it!" Molluck commanded as both him and the slig were zapped and transported to the boardroom...
(Mere seconds later in the middle of the boardroom platform with his four other glukkon associates standing and waiting...)
General Driplik stood nearby smoking his pipe, his black suit covered in medals. Director Phleg had his usual dark grey suit and was smoking a cigar, next to Phleg was Vice President Aslik and the Brewmaster in his usual white suit was stained an odd green liquid and a golden framed watch hanging over his left shoulder.
For months now, they had been trying to convince Molluck to fund their Soulstorm brew project with little success so far. They had a few slig henchmen at their sides as well, all standing impatiently as Molluck marched in front of the large monitor screen on the wall behind them.
Molluck stood there for a moment in a brief pause before he was about to speak, "Molluck!" Vice President Aslik was the first to speak up, "What?!" Molluck shot back at the Wanna-be now currently on the fast lane to becoming the administrator FeeCo Depot, the industrial train company used to transport workers and supplies to Rupture Farms and other Glukkon owned businesses.
"You gonna fund our SoulStorm brew project or what?!" He shouted close to Mullock's face, but he kept his cool and turned away, "Baah!" He laughed at Aslik's obvious lack of respect.
"Then what are we here for?!" General Driplik was already quickly losing his temper, Molluck ignored him and turned to the screen, the short movie started to play, "Introducing brain feed, brought to you by your friendly neighbourhood vykkers as they work tirelessly in their labs for your convenience!" The cheesy introduction of the movie had started to play as the other glukkons exchanged confused glances behind Molluck.
After looking at the strange and bright colours surrounding the odd looking helmet with tubes coming around it on the screen, "What is this crap?!" Phleg remarked loudly from behind, "Shut-up!" Molluck shouted not even bothering to turn around and face him.
All the other Glukkon's beside Molluck jumped back in surprise as the familiar vykker in a lab coat appeared in front of them, he had used the portal just as Molluck had.
Putting both sets of hands behind his back, Dr. Shrinkley began to address them, "Good evening gentle-gluks." He said this in a rather calm voice, despite the tendency for vykkers to have irritatingly high pitched voices.
The Brewmaster rolled his eyes, "What does this quack want now?" He remarked surly in his overly exaggerated French accent, eyeing the scientist with what seemed like some sort of sense of rivalry, perhaps they had gone to the same schools.
Shrinkley ignored him slowly starting the pace back in forth in front of them, "Fine, fine...How goes your line of unsuccessful beverages Brewmaster?" He remarked slyly and watched as the white coated glukkon scowled in annoyance, General Driplik started chuckling at the twos rivalry.
"Representative of Magog Cartel Molluck, asked me here to explain our new equipment..." The doc said as he continued to strut back and forth on his three trip-odic like legs.
Phleg rolled his eyes, "I still don't see what we have to gain from making our slaves smarter..." It was a rather cold remark, but a true one. Most modokon slaves perished from on the job accidents anyway.
Shrinkley raised a claw, "Ah, but what if they could read the warning labels on equipment? Wouldn't it be nicer, not to have to clean up so much modokon blood on such a regular basis?" Asking this slyly with a raised brow, Shrinkley watched as Director Phleg thought for a moment, "Eh, not my problem. Slaves job to clean..." He shrugged his shoulders as he turned around to watch as the other glukkons all nodded in agreement.
The doc face-palmed, 'We haven't exactly got a limitless supply of labour eggs any more, our last batch came up even shorter than last time." The glukkons stopped, hearing this and exchanged confused glances, "Besides there isn't any known female modokons left." He tapped his chin with a claw in thought as he finished his sentence.
As they all thought for a moment, a nearby slig dared to speak up, "That's cause Molluck, disposes of them right after they hatch, he wanted to keep the population under control." The slig shrank back in fear as Molluck leaned lose and eyed him menacingly, "Don't speak unless spoken to, you pathetic worm!" He scolded as the slig trembled for a moment saluting nervously "Ye, yes sir!" It managed to choke out, but Molluck made a motion for another slig guard nearby to do away with him, shoving the unfortunate slig off the platform with his gun by whacking him in the face, "Aaaahhhh!" They listened as the sligs scream slowly grew quieter until they heard the distant thump down bellow them, the glukkons all laughed in cruel amusement.
(Having enough and coming to no real conclusion on how to fix this little dilemma yet, Molluck said his goodbyes to his colleages and made his way back to the office with the Doc following close behind...)
When they closed the office doors behind them Molluck finally spoke again, "You didn't tell them?" He asked eyeing the vykker with suspicion, Shrinkley shrugged in a comical fashion, "That a female egg was discovered in the last batch? No, but it'll take a lot more moolah to keep me quiet." The vykker finished his sentence with rubbing his claws on one hand to together in a money sign.
Molluck grumbled something indistinct and ordered a slig to come, who was nearby snoozing against the wall, "Pay the vykker!" Molluck ordered and slig obediently carried a briefcase and handed it over to the greedy vykker.
As Molluck watched Shrinkley leave, he went back to sit at his office desk, looking over the papers again, he returned to his thoughts. The last thing Molluck needed was the other glukkons finding out about the modokon female and finding her before he did, Molluck didn't want anyone else gaining a tactical advantage over him, not to mention the next modokon queen would be priceless and worth a lot of moolah on the black market.
(About a year later...)
-Unknowns POV
After spending a year just laying there in our cribs, the time had come, to start work. I knew this because the voices in my head that taught me things, told me so. I listened patiently until I finally heard the heavy footsteps of the older modokons enter the nursery.
I had overheard a slig say they had willingly volunteered to show us the ropes, me and the other dozen or so youngsters were then carefully lifted to our feet on the cold metal floor by the six older modokens that had entered the room, each walked over to a youngster, I looked up and watched with timidly as a tall green skinned modoken slowly made his way towards me, the mud towered over myself with his tall stature.
Looking up at the fully grown modokon before myself helping me learn to stand, I realised I was about half his size, he was about five foot six, he looked down at me with kind eyes, kinder eyes then the vykkers or sligs I encountered before.
He offered his paw to me, "Name's Sid." The older said, in the same bubbly voice we all shared, I shook his paw and nodded in acknowledgement, he was obviously fully grown as modokons supposably were after their first ten years of so, of course that isn't to say that they were mentally mature by that time either.
I took a moment to glance around, the other youngsters were being fitted for loin clothes as our older brothers helped put them on, looking down at myself I noticed I lacked what the rest of my brothers had. The parts between my legs were different then from rest of my siblings, I looked up at the older in concern looking for some hint of guidance or an explanation.
Sid eyed me for a moment and looked me up and down, realising what my look was for, he hastily put a loincloth on me, glancing around as if hoping the others hadn't noticed yet, they hadn't appeared to as they were all too preoccupied with the other youngsters.
"Wha..what's happening?" I managed to choke out the words, after all this is the first time I had ever spoke, Sid glanced around before answering, "We're going to teach you how clean the factory and to stay out of trouble." He stated simply moving to help a familiar youngster I had only seen once before.
I tilted my head in confusion at his words as I watched as Sid tended to the youngster with blue skin standing nearby, his eyes were sad and he kept quiet as Sid helped him stand.
The guards at the door then spoke, "Alright, move out slaves!" The slig commanded in its harsh robotic like voice and gestured with its gun for everyone to march out the doors.
Each of the six modokon olders, had at least two youngsters assigned to them as we were marched down the metallic hallways. The blue skinned one and I followed close behind Sid as we were all led to some buckets with soap and water on the floors.
"Get to work!" The slig shouted as the six olders immediately grabbed a sponge and started scrubbing the floors, some of the youngsters didn't catch on quick enough and stood there in confusion for a moment, I watched in horror as one of the youngsters received a hit to the back of the head by the impatient slig, the guard then started casually hit the other hand with the stick-like club he used for beating the slaves.
The rest of the youngsters quickly grabbed sponges and got to work, in fear they would be beaten as well. The older modokons seemed oblivious or unconcerned by the harsh act, as if something like that was a normal occurrence in their day to day lives.
(I'll bet you can already guess which ones Abe :), PS I couldn't resist giving Vice President Aslik, Brewmaster and General Driplik etc. making a kameo appearance. You'll notice they haven't gained their full positions yet, that's because most of this story takes place before the events of Abe's oddysee, but the same basic storyline applies.
This is technically an AU universe, so minor changes may be seen, but this is just so the plot-line ties in well with the Odd faqs and works well with this story.
Yes an octigi was also present in Molluck's office aquarium, any readers familiar with strangers wrath may appreciate this little minor appearance :)